WORD OF THE MONTH

A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem... 

At least two readers pointed out the same thing from this column of last week. If last Thursday was the 29th of Shvat, and the moon was not visible on Thursday night (which it wasn't), then with a Sanhedrin, it would not have made a difference that the moon was also not visible on Friday night - Shabbat would have been automatically declared Rosh Chodesh Adar. My statement that Rosh Chodesh would have been Sunday was based on the assumption that Friday would have been the 29th of Shvat. Then the non-visibility of the moon on Leil Shabbat would mean a Sunday Rosh Chodesh. 

Kiddush L'vana. 3-day people said it last Monday night. Many will probably say it this Motza'ei Shabbat. Weather permitting, it is a perfect time for many other opinions. This Friday is 7 Adar, the traditional date of Moshe Rabeinu's birth and death. The 8th of Adar is the earlier possible date for ZACHOR, since the 14th cannot fall on Shabbat in our fixed calendar.